Two Pasifika students win AUT media study scholarships
24 March 2006
Two Pasifika media students were presented with AUT-Pacific Islands Media Association scholarships at the annual School
of Communication Studies awards last night.
PIMA vice chairman Chris Lakatani presented the scholarship certificates to Metuanooroa Tapuni, who is doing a Graduate
Diploma in Multimedia, and Paul Va’a, who has been admitted to the Bachelor of Communication Studies programme.
This brings the total of Pasifika students on the AUT-sponsored media scholarships to nine.
The first scholarship graduate, Leilani Momoisea, is due to receive her BCS degree today and is looking forward to a
radio career.
The scholarships, supported by AUT’s School of Communication Studies and Office of Pasifika Advancement, were introduced
in 2003 to help expand a pool of quality young Pacific Islanders seeking a media career.
Two of the scholarship holders are also doing postgraduate media research.
Congratulating the students, school head Associate Professor Barry King said: “We look forward to developing
opportunities for talented Pasifika youth and media people, permitting them to exercise their talents and skills and
find careers that will enrich the cultural life of the nation.”
School diversity and publications coordinator Dr David Robie said there had been an encouraging boost in Pasifika media
enrolments from certificate to postgraduate courses over the past year
ENDS